Hello fellow model railroaders. My name is Donald I have been modeling in HO scale for 13 years now, and run into a snag. I have had my present layout for 5 years but I am not satisfied with it operation in any way. So I think it’s time to rebuild the layout. The only thing I like to keep of the layout is the staging yard and helix. Below is a link to my track diagram of my existing layout. I don’t have much switching on my layout mostly run through trains. One thinkg I don’t like. On my next layout I like to have a switching district.
I have been trying to plan a good operating layout but, I haven’t came up with anything, anyone here be interested in helping me plan a new layout I’m open to any suggestions.
I took the liberty of making the layout link live. That’s quite a layout, and an accomplishment in 5 years just to build the trackwork and wiring out to the state shown in the diagram. The one thing I notice right off is that there is no runaround near the power plant or the mine. Which makes switching either a little awkward, especially if there are other trains running at the same time.
Designing a large layout like this for someone else is somewhat out of my league. But some tips to help you plan your own:
establish your vision. This includes theme, era, region, prototype, industries to be modeled, etc. What do you want to see when your layout is completed? You mention a switching district - but is it a single large industry? A downtown wharf area? A “union” railroad linking other railroads at a city? A loads-in empties-out industry pair? Spacemouse’s treatise on arriving at your vision (http://www.chipengelmann.com/trains/Beginner/BeginnersGuide01.html) is a worthwhile quick read even for e
I think this is a good model railroad, actually, which could be even better with a few small changes that won’t affect the general plan. Here is what I came up with:
As I see it, your main trouble is that you have no need to go anywhere. Moving the mine branch makes you do that - you can dispatch mine runs one way from the yard, and trains to the power plant the other way. I also expanded the size of the plant, and recommend adding a spur to a supply building to the left of the existing mine complex (not shown) so you can deliver other supplies like blasting powder, tools, and equipment. There used to be an ammonium-nitrate facility in Clarion, PA that supplied mines, and maybe it’s still there - it was a small pair of simple silos IIRC, very modelable.
Your mine and plant are also ideally situated for a loads in - empties out pairing.
